England drawn against France in Women's Nations League with LA 2028 Olympics qualification at stake

Sarina Wiegman’s England have been drawn alongside France, Austria and Portugal in the UEFA Women’s Nations League, a competition that will serve as the primary route to qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Only the team finishing top of each group will secure a place at the Games, with group winners also advancing to the Nations League semi-finals. The stakes could hardly be higher for England, who missed out on the Paris 2024 Olympics after being pipped to top spot in their previous Nations League group by the Netherlands on goal difference — despite a 6-0 final-day win over Scotland.

Elsewhere in League A, the Republic of Ireland face arguably the toughest draw, having been placed alongside world champions Spain, Norway and Switzerland. Wales will contend with Denmark, Italy and Iceland, while Scotland’s group features Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. Northern Ireland, competing in League B, will meet Poland, Finland and Belarus.

Matchdays one and two are scheduled for February and March, with rounds three and four following in April. The final league-stage fixtures come in June, ahead of the Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The semi-finals are due in October, with the third-place play-off and final set for late November and early December. Teams finishing fourth in League A will be relegated to League B, while League B winners will earn promotion.

Before England can focus fully on the Nations League, they must first secure their place at next year’s World Cup, with a two-legged play-off against Ukraine to be played later this month and in early December.

Wiegman’s side arrive at this stage in strong form historically, having won the European Championship in both 2022 and 2025 and reached the World Cup final in 2023. Olympic qualification now represents the next major target on an increasingly ambitious agenda for the Lionesses.